BREAKING NEWS ....
Now you can see the customer reviews for Your Camino too!
LightFoot Guides User Reviews
It has not been our policy to publish the positive comments we receive from people who have used our guides, but when so many other guide writers and publishers are doing just that, we decided it was time to go public. So, here it is - our review page.
AVAILABLE in print, Kindle and digital editions NOW!!
Your Camino – on foot, bicycle, or horseback – in France and Spain
by Sylvia Nilsen with Greg Dedman
A must have for anyone planning their first, or second or third Camino and an invaluable resource for organisations that offer advice and help to pilgrims planning their Caminos.
Kindle
A number of LightFoot titles are already available on Kindle and we are working towards providing full list before too long.
Note:
Due to the developing and changing state of the Via Francigena, purchasers of the LightFoot Guides to the Via Francigena should always check for the latest updates on this site.
Pò river crossing
One of the greatest experiences of travelling the via Francigena is to cross the river Pò - Transitum Padi – by the ferry - Guado di Sigerico - between Corte Sant’Andrea and Soprarivo. The physical experience is complemented by the warm welcome from the ferryman – Danilo Parisi. Unfortunately a few pilgrims have reported that despite making arrangements in advance, the ferry has not arrived. This is because Danilo's boat engine was stolen and has had to be replaced, but he assures us that he is now able to provide the ferry service.
If you arrive at Corte Sant’Andrea and are unable to cross the Pò by ferry, the best forward route is to follow the newly red and white signed route on the north side of the river and to take the busy road bridge into Piacenza. However this will require walking some 25km before you can find alternate accommodation. As a result we recommend that you:
1) make your arrangements with Danilo 1 or 2 days in advance (tel:0523 771607 or mobile:388 6933850) - phoning preferably in the evening.
2) phone on the day of your crossing to confirm.
3) consider spending the prior night at Orio Litta or be prepared to back track the 3km to Orio Litta.
Via Francigena ... New Signs/New Site
Following our 2010 report on route signing in Italy, the Italian ministry that is responsible for the via Francigena has taken a rather more relaxed view of the type of 
sign that they will allow. As a result a volunteer group Associazione Camminando Sulla Via Francigena has added red and white painted markers to the the signing along the entire route from Pont St Martin to Rome. They have also taken the opportunity to make some improvements to the route and to construct a web-site that provides interactive maps to the entire route in Italy. Full details of the excellent project can be found at: www.camminandosullaviafrancigena.com
Update Via Francigena accommodation in France
In Tergnier - none of
the hotels adjacent to the station are open. Two have closed
permanently one is closed because of illness, although it does not look as
though it has been open for some time and one has been turned into what we
would
describe as a DHSS hostel. There is another hotel in the vicinity about
1.5km
away but it is only small and unfortunately was full so pilgrims should
book ahead. We
decided to catch a train to St Quentin, which is a much nicer place, 5 mins
and 3
euros and returned the next morning to continue.
Our thanks to Steve Thompson for this information
Warning
Warning to those walking the Via Francigena in Swizerland, 2011 Section: Martigny Croix to Bovernier Martigny Croix to Bovernier
Pilgrims (June 2011) have reported rockfalls on the walker's route up the valley, with the result that this path is now very dangerous. There is, however, no
alternative to this "mountain goat" route up a narrow valley on small, uneven footpaths, with steepsided
cliffs on either side of the river Dranse, the road and the railway line below.
You do not actually need a very good head for heights to tackle this section but you do need to be very careful if it is wet or windy, if visibility is poor, if you aren't very agile or are unused to this
type of walking, all the more so if you are alone and carrying a heavy rucksack. Do NOT,
however, and under any circumstances at all, even consider walking on the road: this is only two
lanes wide, is full of very fast-moving, heavy traffic and there is rarely any hard shoulder or
pavement to protect you. It is the worse section of the whole Via Francigena, all the way from
Canterbury to Rome, and if you feel unable to tackle it for whatever reason you will have to resign
yourself, reluctantly, to taking the train (frequent service) for the 5km stretch from Martigny Croix
to Bovernier.
Our thanks go to the Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome for this information.
UPDATE
We have since heard that the pathway is just passable but requires a real head for heights and is very risky. The railway line is also blocked. If you chose to take to walk on the road be sure to leave very early to minimise the traffic.
You can take bus 133 from Martigny to Bovenier, Sembrancher or through to Orsières. Timetable link:
http://www.fahrplanfelder.ch/fileadmin/fap_pdf_fields/2011/133.pdf
Digital Editions
We have added the LightFoot Guide Digital Editions to our list. Available for use on any platform that supports Adobe Reader or Adobe Digital editions ... iPhone, ipad, android etc. Nevertheless, we will retain the print editions for as long as people continue to ask for them.
The LightFoot Guide to the Via Domitia Arles to Rome
The LightFoot Guide to the Via Domitia Arles to Rome (Linking the St James Way and the Via Francigena) and the Companion to this guide can be ordered now. As with all the routes presented in our LightFoot Guide series, we have followed every centimetre of the via Domitia ourselves - this time, accompanied by our horse, Nellie, and our dog, Flea. You can read about how we did it here.
3rd edition Via Francigena Guides They will not be revised this year
Updates relating to accommodation and the route can be downloaded from the Guide Related Downloads Page.
Inevitable, but unpleasant
Our books are being offered as free PDF copies. Worse still, the person doing this must have been a recipient of our free updates, offered to people who have purchased our guides in the past – a total betrayal of trust. Worst of all, anyone thinking this is a great opportunity to obtain a free guide, will find that it is out of date and therefore inaccurate. Unlike many other guide writers for the via Francigena, Paul and I have not received a grant, self-fund everything we do and make absolutely no profit, which makes this discovery even more distressing. Unfortunately there is nothing we can do to stop copyright theft, but we have withdrawn our PDF updates for the 2010 editions and will not provide them in the future. A regrettable decision, but a loss inflicted on pilgrims by pilgrims.
Pilgrim Hostel, Arles
Paul and Babette have taken their pilgrim passion one step further by opening a hostel in the centre of Arles, just 100 metres off the St James Way. They have beds for 6 people, but can squeeze in more with mattresses on the floor if necessary. Also on offer: internet and wifi access, along with a rapidly expanding Pilgrim Resource centre - books, maps and guides for a number of pilgrimage routes. Breakfast and an evening meal are provided, without charge, but donations are appreciated - 10% of which will go to support a project in Bolivia.